A Child of Great Destiny
by turquoisefox
Summary: Saria is charged with the care of an infant found at the foot of the Great Deku Tree. This baby is no ordinary child he will grow up to be a great hero. Please excuse the former summary of this fic. I didn't write it and don't appreciate it.
1. Link's Story

Disclaimer: All characters copyright their respective owners. It's that simple. I think you are all smart enough to figure out which are owned by whom. Oh, and I'm not making money off this anyway. And I'm having trouble with indenting because I copied and pasted this story from where I first wrote it (the IGN Legend of Zelda board), so none of the paragraphs are indented.

  
  
  
  
  
  


The morning sun shone brightly over the Kokiri Forest. Saria sat on her roof, watching the birds fly overhead, chirping. "I wonder what it would be like to fly?" Saria thought to herself.   
Suddenly, Saria's train of thought was interrupted. A fairy she had never seen before had flown right into her face, yelling "Hey! Listen! I am Navi,messenger of the Great Deku Tree. He wants to see you right away!"   
"What would the Deku Tree want with me?" Saria wondered as she climbed down from the roof to follow Navi.   
Upon reaching the Great Deku Tree, Saria immediately saw Navi darting around excitedly. Saria's eyes followed the hyperactive fairy, and she gasped when she saw what appeared to be a dead person lying between the tree's roots.   
"What happened here?" Saria cried out in shock. "Is the forest under attack?"   
The Deku Tree spoke,"Gentle Saria, do not fear. This woman was mortally wounded when she first set foot in the forest."   
"Why have you summoned me, Great Deku Tree?"   
"Approach the woman. Thee should find something of great importance lying nearby."   
Saria timidly inched closer to the body. She noticed a small bundle at her side. It moved. Saria uttered a cry of shock, then moved in closer to investigate.   
"A baby! What's going to happen to this poor little thing?"   
"That is why I called you here, Saria. Thee and the other Kokiri must raise this boy, for I sense he has a great future ahead of him."   
"I suppose there is no other choice," Saria replied. "This child needs our care."   
She lifted the infant. "Aren't you adorable?" she cooed, tickling him under the chin. The baby smiled and yawned.   
"I can see that thou will raise this child well," the Deku Tree remarked. "Take him now and inform the others of their new responsibility."   
"I will. But one final thing-does this child have a name?"   
"His mother told me that his name is Link,"   
the Deku Tree responded.   
"Link," Saria whispered softly. "What a nice name." And with that, she set off for home, Link sleeping in her arms. 

Saria turned around. "Great Deku Tree," she said timidly,"Why did you summon me and not someone else?"   
"Little Saria, thou hast become a sort of unofficial leader to the Kokiri. Rest assured, though, that I am not giving responsibility for this child to thee alone. All the Kokiri must do their part."   
"What about Mido, boss of the Kokiri?"   
The Deku Tree chuckled. "Mido bestowed that title upon himself. Does anyone listen to him anyway?"   
"No. You do have a point there."   
"One final thing, Saria. "Twould be best if thou didst not tell the others this boy is not a true Kokiri. He is to be raised as one of the forest folk, like thyself. He would feel like an outsider otherwise."   
"Should he ever know his true heritage?"   
"Yes, one day, the time shall be right. But that shall not come to pass. Go now,Saria,and take the child to the village."   
As Saria returned, the other Kokiri swarmed around her.   
"What did the Deku Tree say?"   
"What are you carrying?"   
"Oh, a baby! How cute!"   
"A boy or a girl?"   
"What's its name?"   
All this commotion woke Link, and he began crying.   
"Ssssh," Saria shushed him. "Go back to sleep,little one." She stroked his golden hair gently. Link wrapped his tiny hand around Saria's finger.   
"How sweet," cooed a Kokiri girl.   
"What's sweet?'" a gruff voice demanded. "Tell me it's not another stupid bunny."   
"Shut up, Mido," Saria replied, somewhat annoyed. "It's a baby. His name is Link,and the Deku Tree says we must take care of him."   
"Link! What kind of name is that?" Mido snorted indignantly. "I can see that's a baby,and I don't want anything to do with him. Babies are useless."   
"Mido,you were a baby once, too," a Kokiri girl pointed out.   
"So what, Mira? Find someone who CARES!"   
"Mido, stop being a jerk!" Saria snapped. "We all have to help raise him. That means you, too!"   
"Fine, let me hold the little brat." Mido picked Link up and looked him in the face. "You better get big fast,'cause I don't have any use for babies around here." Link responded by spitting up on Mido.   
"You little punk! Don't you ever do that again!" Mido screamed, smacking Link on the arm. Link began bawling.   
The other Kokiri surrounded Mido angrily.   
"You idiot! He's just a baby! He can't help it!" Saria scolded, slapping Mido's face.   
The others chimed in:   
"Yeah, he doesn't know better!"   
"You can't hit a baby like that!"   
"You made him cry!"   
"Meanie!"   
"I'm outta here!" Mido bellowed. "I can't believe you're this worked up over some dumb baby. Let me know when you've regained your sanity!" With that, Mido stomped off.   


"What's his problem?" Mira asked. "What does Mido have against an innocent baby?"   
Saria smirked,"He's probably jealous that Link is getting so much attention."   
"Ok, we've got a baby to raise, now what do we do?" a shaggy-haired boy piped up.   
"I guess we need some baby things," Saria responded. "He can't just lie around all day on the ground doing nothing."   
"Want me to get started on building s cradle?" the boy asked.   
"Great idea, Rel!" Mira cried enthusiastically. Rynn has a cow. I'll ask if she'll let me milk it."   
"You think he'll drink it straight from the cow? You better find a bottle."   
"I KNOW that, Rel. I'm not a moron."   
"Hey, no fighting," Saria reprimanded. "It doesn't get anything done."   
Mido came swaggering up. "What are you knuckleheads up to now? Still overexicted about that little squirt?"   
"Either help us or get lost. We don't need your attitude," Saria said impatiently. "We're making baby stuff."   
"I'll tape his mouth shut so he can't puke on anyone else," offered Mido sarcastically.   
"Dude, I could use your help building this cradle," Rel called out.   
"Cradle? The kid could sleep outside for all I care. Let him learn to take care of himself!"   
A girl leading a cow on a rope had overheard. "How do you expect a baby to do that? Are you that thick-skulled?"   
"He'll learn soon enough. Why don't you stay out of this, Rynn?"   
"ENOUGH!" Saria shouted, causing Link to start fussing again.   
"Well, well, Saria has upset the baby. Maybe she won't be able to take care of him after all." Mido remarked with a nasty grin.   
"Mido, go away!" Saria hissed. Turning to Link, she whispered,"I'm sorry I made you cry. That Mido is just hard to handle. Ignore him." Saria rocked him gently. Link yawned and closed his eyes. Saria sat down, holding him on her lap.   
"Moooooooooooooooooooooo!" Mira and Rynn had started milking the cow and startled it. Link just giggled at the noise.   
"Cows are funny, aren't they?" Saria began giggling, too. "You like cows, Link?"   
"Hey the cradle's finished! Come check it out," Rel called.   
"Looks great," Saria replied. She set Link down in it,and he quickly fell asleep. "Now I should get started on MY project," Saria said to herself. 

Saria ran to her house and retrieved a needle, some thread, and a bag of cloth. She sat down next to Link's cradle and began sewing.   
"Whatcha making, Saria?" her fairy asked.   
"A stuffed animal. I think it's going to be a rabbit."   
"For Link?"   
"Yes. I still have my old teddy bear. Most small children love stuffed animals."   
"Think this child will ever have a fairy?"   
"I really don't know. I hope so, otherwise he may feel like he doesn't fit in."  
Link had awakened from his nap. As Saria's fairy flitted around, he grabbed for it.   
"Yaaaah! That kid's dangerous!" the fairy screamed.   
"No,no." Saria scolded gently. "Don't squash my fairy."   
Rynn giggled. She had brought a bottle full of milk, fresh from the cow.   
"Think he'll be able to drink out of this, Saria?"   
"I don't know. He should if you hold it just right."   
Rynn lifted Link and held the bottle to his mouth. She tipped it gently, and he managed to drink,though milk dribbled everywhere. When Link finshed, Rynn wiped his mouth on her sleeve. "Messy thing, aren't you?" she said, amused.   
"Buuuuurp!"   
"Excuse yourself ,young man!" Saria teased.   
Mira came running up to the little group. "Look what I made!" She held out what appeared to be a deku nut."I filled it with stones and seeds," she said proudly, shaking it at the baby. He snatched it from her, smiling, and then proceeded to try to eat it.   
"You don't eat THAT!" Rynn laughed. "You play with it." She shook it,then placed it in his hand. Link began shaking the rattle as hard as he could, laughing gleefully.   
"What's that racket?" Mido yelled from atop a tree. "I can't believe you're giving that kid a noisy toy. You'll be sorry!"   
"SHUT UP MIDO!" all three girls yelled. Link made a few babyish sounds, trying to imitate them.   
"He's trying to talk!" Mira exclaimed.   
"How adorable!" the other two cooed.   
"Girls," Mido muttered. "I don't know what their problem is. I'm FAR more interesting than a baby! At least I can hold an intelligent conversation."   
None of them heard Mido's remark. They were too busy taling among themselves. By now, several other Kokiri had joined Saria, Rynn, and Mira. Fairies fluttered around overhead. It was getting dark.   
"Where's the baby going to sleep?"   
"Put him in Mido's house so he'll keep Mido awake! Ha ha!"   
"Mido would kick him out. I don't want that poor baby to sleep outside."   
"What about Saria? She's taking good care of him."   
"That's fine, but somebody should help me move the cradle," Saria replied. She lifted Link so the cradle could be moved and whispered softly to him, "You're already like a little brother to me. I love you." 

Soon after Saria had put Link to bed, he began crying. Saria couldn't figure out what was wrong. He just had a bottle and diaper change.   
"What's wrong?" Saria asked, lifting him. "Is there something special your mother did before bedtime? Did she sing?" Saria softly crooned a lullaby, but it did little good.   
"You miss your mama, don't you? I wish there was something I could do...." her voice trailed off,and she sighed heavily. Her thoughts turned to Link's dead mother. Was her body still lying between the tree roots? With the baby still in her arms, Saria rushed to the Great Deku Tree. She breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered the freshly-dug grave. Someone had apparently buried the woman. "Good",thought Saria. The idea of a dead body lying around disturbed her.   
Back at her house, Saria still had no clue how to calm the still-squalling baby. She cuddled him close. "Would it make you feel better if you slept with me?" Saria climbed into bed with the baby in her arms. After a few minutes, Link calmed down and fell asleep. 

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"   
This was the sound Saria awoke to the next morning at dawn. Link was clearly awake already. "Ok,ok. I'm up," Saria mumbled sleepily. She scooped Link up and shuffled outside, still half-asleep. Rynn had tied the cow to a nearby tree. Saria, bucket in hand, approached it. Saria had milked a cow before, but never before fully waking up. She missed the cow's udder, and ended up pinching its stomach.   
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The cow was frightened and angry. It tried to kick Saria. She dodged, but hit the tree trunk. The sudden noises upset the baby, who began bawling.   
"What's going on out there?" yelled one of the twins next door.   
"You woke me up!" snapped her sister.   
Rynn came running. "Is my cow OK? And the baby?"   
Mido stomped furiously in Saria's direction. "I hope you're satisfied. Between that stupid baby and that walking hunk of roast beef, the whole forest is awake!"   
"How is this MY fault?" Saria demanded.   
"I don't know what happened, but you're the one taking care of the baby and milking the cow."   
"If all you're going to do is complain," Saria said through gritted teeth,"then you should just go home. I'm in no mood to deal with your nonsense." With that, she began milking the now-calmed cow and put the milk in a bottle. Link ate hungrily, then burped.   
Several Kokiri giggled.   
"Isn't he darling?" Mira gushed.   
"You wouldn't think so if he barfed on YOU!" Mido snarled.   
"Go stuff your head in a hole. Then we wouldn't have to hear you complain," smirked Mira.   
"FINE. You're not worth my time anyway." Mido stalked off, grumbling.   
Later that day, Saria noticed Link seemed to have a liking for putting things in his mouth. When she finished the stuffed bunny, he immediately began sucking on its ear. More than once, he tried nibbling on a strand of her hair. Saria even caught him trying to eat a bug. He bit his deku nut rattle and immediately started wailing. Saria panicked. She hurried to see the Great Deku Tree.   
"What can I do?" she asked. "He won't keep anything out of his mouth, and then he starts crying."   
"Saria, it sounds like little Link is cutting teeth. Give him something soft to chew on."   
Saria took the Deku Tree's advice. Not long after, Link fell asleep with his bunny's ear in his mouth. Her friends stopped by and offered to help watch him. Saria agreed readily.   
Mira whispered,"If Link is teething, I hope he bites Mido!"   
Everyone laughed. Suddenly, a fairy zoomed in.   
"Hey! How's Link doing?" Navi called, waking Link. He was unhappy about this and began fussing.   
"Navi! Look what you've done! You must be quiet around babies!" Saria snapped.   
"Listen! I'm sorry. I didn't know he was asleep."   
Link appeared fascinated by the fairy hovering overhead. He swatted at it playfully. Navi darted away, and Link laughed delightedly. When Navi got close enough, he swatted her again. This went on for about a minute before Navi became annoyed and left. By then, everyone was laughing hysterically

Saria sat on a tree stump, crying softly. Link was crying,too,only far more loudly. Saria had fed him, changed him, played with him, and rocked him repeatedly. Nothing worked. She felt helpless.   
"What's wrong?" Mira asked, sitting down on the ground beside the stump.   
"I can't do anything for this poor baby. I'm not fit to care for him," she sniffed.   
"Nonsense. You're doing a wonderful job. Let me take him for a while, though. You're stressed."   
"You'd do that?" Saria murmured between sobs.   
"Of course." Mira picked up the infant and headed home.   
"Well, well. I guess Miss Mommy isn't so great after all," Mido smirked as he sauntered up.   
"Go away!"   
"Make me," Mido replied with an even more obnoxious grin.   
Mira returned immediately. "Saria, help! He won't stop crying. Is he sick?"   
"Like she knows? She just got rid of the little brat."   
"Mido, I didn't 'get rid of' him," Saria hissed, gritting her teeth and trying to supress her building anger. She then slapped her head in disgust. "Of course! He's teething right now, and his poor little mouth probably hurts."   
"Hold him for a minute, Mido."   
"Fine." Mido held Link somewhat awkwardly.   
"You're more trouble than you're worth, kid."   
Saria returned with a wet cloth. Link certainly had no objections to chewing on it. Until he dropped it. Rather than throwing a tantrum, though, he decided Mido's finger would be a decent substitute.   
"YOWWWW!" Mido hollered in pain and dropped Link out of surprise. Link began wailing.   
"You fool! You could have killed him!" Saria shrieked, slapping Mido furiously. "Since you obviously aren't capable of proper care of a baby, I don't want you anywhere near Link!"   
"Oh, I'm hurt!" Mido sneered sarcastically, then left.   
Saria, meanwhile, had scooped Link up and began cuddling him. He was unhurt, but upset.   
Saria kissed his cheek. Link giggled and made cute babyish sounds.   
"Saiwya," Link said.   
"Saria, did he just say...?" Mira gasped.   
"Saiwya," Link repeated.   
"Oh, you said my name! And your first word. I'm so touched!" Saria pressed the baby close.   
"Can I teach him to say 'Mido is stupid'?"   
"No, Mira," Saria replied. Then she smiled. "Wait until he's a little older."

Link learned more words quickly. Within a month, he knew the names of several more Kokiri, and could also say "twee" (tree), "cow", "cucco", and "mil" (milk). While Rel was watching him, Link "mysteriously" picked up the phrase "shuddup". Saria was a bit displeased with this. She ignored him whenever he used it.   
Link also had figured out how to crawl. Saria discovered this in a somewhat bizarre way. She had set him down while she went to milk the cow, but when she came back, Link had disappeared. Saria panicked. She let out a horrible scream, causing her friends to come running.   
"Are you Ok, Saria?" Mido asked in a rare display of concern for someone other than himself.   
"Link's missing!" she wailed, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks.   
"I warned you that little brat was going to be trouble. Now maybe we can get back to our normal lives. Let someone else worry about him."   
Saria exploded. "You self-centered fool! Link is a helpless baby. He could be in danger, and you don't even care. What did that baby ever do to you?"   
"Hey, I like to look at the positive side of everything."   
"What's postive about a kidnapping?"   
"Kid napping? When he's asleep, at least he's quiet. Ha ha! Seriously, I don't have him because i don't want him."   
"Mido, this is no time for jokes! Especially jokes that aren't funny!" Mira shouted.   
"I've had enough of you! Saria's been far too patient!" Rynn snarled, hitting Mido squarely in the jaw with a right hook. "Take that, you big bully!"   
Mido stood there, holding his sore jaw, speechless.   
"Haw! Mido got the crap beat out of him by a GIRL!" Rel chuckled.   
"This is my cue to leave," Mido remarked.   
"Very good, Mido. I see you're learning," Saria replied sarcastically. "Now get lost!"   
Without warning, a crash occurred from somewhere inside the house. Then, the Kokiri assembled there heard a baby's cry. Saria looked in the direction it came from. "Could it be....?" she whispered hopefully.   
She spotted Link under her bed. He had apparently started crying because his head had hit the underside. "How did you get under there?" Saria asked in disbelief as she picked him up. "I guess you must have learned to crawl while I wasn't looking."   
"Mido 'tupid!" Link babbled.   
"What did you say?" Saria looked inquiringly at Link. "Mira, did you teach him to say that?" Saria asked suspiciously.   
Mira gazed at Saria innocently. "Who, me?"   
Saria grinned. "Very good, Link. You are learning the ways of the forest folk." 

Now that he could crawl, Link began exploring everything. It was nearly impossible for Saria to turn her back on him for two seconds without having to chase him or take away something dangerous or breakable. One morning, he knocked over a large clay urn and crawled inside it. It took Saria ten minutes of frenzied searching to fidn him. It was then that she realized Link must be closely supervised.   
Later the same day as the urn incident, Saria was sitting in the grass with her friends, Link wriggling in her lap. "I had an unexpected game of hide-and-seek this morning," she grinned.   
"What did Link get into this time?" Rynn inquired. "I hope he didn't fall down the toilet like Mido did at that age."   
"No, just a big clay jar. He must have tipped it over somehow."   
Mira, the youngest of the three girls, asked with surprise and amusement in her voice, "Mido fell down a toilet? Bet he'll never admit to that one!"   
The three burst out laughing. Link, meanwhile, had occupied himself yanking blades of grass out of the ground and was now stuffing a fistful into his mouth.   
"Link! No!" Saria scolded, but too late. Link shoved the grass in his mouth, but immediately spit it out, looking utterly repulsed.   
"I guess you learned your lesson, huh?" Mira remarked, giggling.   
Link had squirmed away from Saria's grasp at this point. He was sitting still for once, intently watching several cuccos pecking around nearby. "Cuccos!" he cried with childish delight. He pulled himself to his feet, wobbling a little. He hesitantly put one foot in front of the other, then repeated. Saria and the others were watching.   
"Look! I think he's walking!" Saria exclaimed. "Isn't that cute?"   
Link had fallen down, but picked himself up and took a few more steps toward the cuccos. They scattered. Link toddled off after them, but fell. He merely laughed and resumed chasing them. Saria ran up to him and scooped him up. "Your first steps! You're getting to be such a big boy!" she cooed.   
"Cuccos!" Link cried gleefully.   
"Yes, you chased the cuccos. I can tell this isn't the last time you'll do that." 

Let us skip ahead about 2 years...   
*********   
A storm raged outside. The Kokiri, however, were safe in their homes. Saria sat by the fire, three-year-old Link resting his head in her lap.   
"Link, once the storm is over, guess what we're going to build?"   
"What?" the little boy asked excitedly.   
"You're getting big enough to live on your own now. We're building you a house of your own. Isn't that wonderful?"   
Link, instead of the joyful reaction Saria expected, began bawling.   
"I don't wanna have my own house," he sniffed. "I wanna stay with you, Saria. Don't leave me!"   
Saria gathered the child in her arms. "Link, your house will be right next to mine. You can come over whenever you want."   
Link stopped crying to inquire: "You mean I can still play with you every day?" He smiled   
"Of course. And guess what? Your house will be in the tree branches. Doesn't living in a treehouse sound like fun?"   
"Yeah!" he cried excitedly. "Just like a bird!"   


Meanwhile....   
  
The storm beat down on Hyrule Field. A lone rider urged her horse toward the Kokiri Forest. A tiny girl clung to the woman, terrified. She began to sob.   
"Don't cry, Princess. We're almost to the forest. We will be safe there. "   
Zelda, the three-year-old Princess of Hyrule, responded merely by burying her face in her nanny's blouse. "I'm scared, Impa!" she whimpered. A flash of lightning, followed by a thunderclap caused Zelda to shriek in pure fright. The horse was spooked, too, and, with a sudden burst of speed, entered the forest. It galloped across the bridge and into the village, and the noise brought the Kokiri out of their homes. Saria was first to greet them, holding Link by the hand. The other Kokiri were staring, open-mouthed.   
"Hello, miss. I'm Saria. Welcome to the Kokiri Forest."   
Impa responded, "If I'm welcome here, would you mind if I took shelter from the storm?"   
"Of course you can," Saria replied cheerfully. "My house is right over there. Come inside and warm up."   
Once inside, Zelda finally let go of Impa. The curious little toddler began to explore the house. "I didn't notice you had a child with you," Saria exclaimed. "She's adorable!"   
"Saria, this is Princess Zelda. I'm Impa, her nanny and sworn protector."   
"So that's the Princess," Saria murmured. "What a sweet child."   
Zelda had discovered a clay jar on was on her tiptoes, peering inside. Impa gasped. "No, no, Princess! You might fall in!" she cried, pulling Zelda away. Zelda then resumed poking around the house.   
"How old is she?" Saria inquired.   
"Three," Impa said. "She's quite bright for her age, but she's into everything."   
Saria giggled. "Sounds just like Link. And they're the same age, too."   
Zelda, meanwhile, had noticed Link, and approached him. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "My name's Zelda. What's yours?"   
"Link," he said shyly.   
"What a nice name. I like it. Do you want to play?"   
"OK, let's go jump in some mud puddles."   
"Yeah!" While Impa and Saria weren't looking, the two toddlers crept outside

Saria and Impa were too busy talking to notice the two children sneak out. "What brings you here, Impa?" Saria asked.   
"I was taking the Princess horseback riding when the storm started. The horse took off running, and we got lost. I eventually recognized the landscape, and the closest, safest place to go was the forest. So here we are."   
"Maybe the Princess would like to play with Link," Saria suggested. "Speaking of whom, where is he?"   
"That little boy? I don't see him." Impa gasped. "I don't see Zelda either. Where are they?"   
They frantically searched the house, but found no sign of the children. Then, they heard childish laughter outside. Impa and Saria rushed out the door only to find Link and Zelda splashing happily in a puddle.   
"Princess! What are you doing? You're all wet!" Impa exclaimed, trying to hide her smile.   
"We're playing in the puddles! It's so much fun!" Zelda giggled.   
"Yeah!" Link agreed. "Wanna play, too?"   
"No," Saria said. "I think you should come inside and dry off."   
"You're no fun," Link pouted.   
"Princess, your dress is soaked! What am I going to do with you?" Impa shook her head, trying not to laugh.   
"She can put on one of my old dresses," Saria offered. "Whose idea was this, anyway?"   
"Mine," Link admitted sheepishly. "You're not mad, are you?"   
Saria picked him up. "Of course not. From now on, though, could you try to stay out of mud puddles?"   
"OK," he said in the angelic-type voice little children use when they're not sincere.   
Later that night, Saria lay awake, thinking. Link slept quietly, thumb in his mouth, in the small bed in the corner. Impa was sleeping on a pallet Saria had made from spare blankets, with Zelda snuggled beside her. "I'm glad Link has been able to play with one of his own kind," Saria thought. "Wouldn't they be an adorable couple?" 

"Wouldn't they make an adorable couple?"   
Saria still remembered thinking that fifteen years later as she watched Link dance with his bride.   
"Hey, Saria, if you aren't gonna finish that piece of cake, I'll take it!" Mido's comment snapped Saria out of her musings. "I'm going to eat this. Go get your own," she replied to Mido.   
"What were you thinking about? You looked like you were in another world."   
"Just reminiscing. It's hard to believe that little baby the Deku Tree wanted us to raise grew up to be a great hero, and now he's Prince of Hyrule, too."   
"Yeah, I feel kind of sorry for all the mean stuff I did to him when he was a kid."   
"Why don't you go tell him that, Mido?" Saria suggested. "Oh, before you do, do you remember when the Princess and her nanny took shelter from a storm in the forest with us?"   
"What about it?"   
Saria grinned mischievously. "Do you remember when Zelda punched you in the stomach because you insulted her?"   
"Don't remind me!" Mido begged. "That was the most humiliating moment of my life!"   
He approached the happy young couple. Link was talking with some friends. Mido tapped him on the shoulder, and Link turned around.   
"Uh, Link, er, Prince Link now, could I talk to you for a moment?" Mido stammered.   
"All right," Link smiled at his childhood enemy. "What is it?"   
"I just wanted to say...I'm sorry for being mean to you when you were a kid. I was a real jerk."   
"That's very mature, Mido," Link said. ""But I still owe you this much," Link smirked evilly.   
"I don't like the way you're looking at me," Mido gulped. "Please don't hurt me!"   
"Don't worry, I won't," Link sneered. He scooped Mido up under one arm and strode over to a nearby fountain.   
"Lemme go! Lemme go!" Mido yelled.   
Link ignored him and dropped him into the fountain. All the wedding guests, inclding the King, burst out laughing.   
Zelda rushed over, laughing hysterically. "Link! That wasn't nice!" she scolded her husband. Then she smiled. "But neither is Mido. Well done!" She threw her arms around Link. "You deserved that, Mido. Now we're even!" he said.   
Saria, who was now standing beside the fountain, looked at the dripping Mido and giggled.   
"I changed my mind, Saria. THIS is the most embarrassing moment of my life!" 

  
  
  
  



	2. Another Child of Great Destiny-Zelda's S...

It's back.......   
18 years before the end of COGD, we find....   
A CHILD OF EQUALLY GREAT DESTINY   
  
****************   
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The newborn's cries filled the room.   
"Congratulations. It's a girl," the midwife beamed. She proceeded to wash the infant, wrap her in blankets, and place her in her mother's arms.   
Tears of joy trickled down the Queen of Hyrule's face. "My baby..." she whispered, kissing the child on the forehead. The King gathered his wife and daughter in his arms. "Truly, this is the happiest day of my life. All of Hyrule will celebrate the birth of Princess Zelda!"   
A young Sheikah woman spoke up. "I promise I will perform the task of royal nurse to the best of my ability. I would protect the Princess with my life if necessary."   
"I know you would, Impa," the Queen said weakly, lying back against the pillows with the Princess sleeping in her arms. "I know you would."   
"I think we should all leave so mother and daughter alike can rest," the King remarked. The others nodded silently, then exited.   
The King paused. He kissed his wife's cheek, whispering, "I love you." He then bent to kiss his baby on the top of her head. "I love you, too, little one." With that, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him. 

  
  


About two months later....   
  
Hyrule Castle was enveloped in silent anxiety. The Queen had fallen ill, and showed no signs of improving. The King paced nervously through the palace, spending as much time with his wife as possible. Impa had been given complete charge of the infant Princess. Indeed, the Queen had insisted on caring for her child on her own more than any Hyrulean monarch before her. She would cuddle the baby in her arms while greeting foreign officials or while in important meetings. It was rare to see her without little Zelda with her. But now this. The Queen was almost too weak to move, let alone care for a child. Impa was glad that Zelda was young enough to be blissfully unaware of the surrounding sorrow.   
One fateful morning, Impa summoned to the royal chambers. "The Queen is slipping away rapidly," the servant explained. "She wants to see her daughter one last time."   
Impa hurriedly gathered Zelda in her arms and rushed to the Queen's bedside. The dying Queen hoarsely whispered, "Let me hold my baby." Impa gently handed Zelda to her mother, who murmured, "I love you, Zelda. I always will, even when I am no longer with you." She kissed her daughter on top of her head. Zelda giggled. The Queen smiled weakly, stroking what little hair her baby had. "Always remember I love you," she whispered. Then, the Queen gave a small sigh and ceased breathing. The King, who had been silently standing there holding his wife's hand, began sobbing with pure grief, not caring that a king was not supposed to show strong emotion. Zelda, though small, sensed something was wrong. Why was her mother so still? The infant began bawling as well. Impa lifted the Princess from her mother's limp arms and began attempting to soothe her. "Shhhh," Impa cooed. "You will be all right, Princess."   
The King turned to Impa, trying to hide his tears. "Impa, you must act as a mother to Zelda now. Can you do this?" He looked at her hopefully, in the way a pleading child might.   
"Of course, Your Majesty. It will not be the same as having her real mother, but I will give this task my full attention. I've grown to love this child dearly."   
"Good," the King said "Now take her to a part of the castle where it will be quieter. I don't think an environment of grief is healthy for such a small child."   
Impa merely nodded, then left, glad to be away from gloom and death herself

  
  



End file.
